Improving Driving Behaviors Using AI-Enabled Dashcam Technology

This paper discusses how a global energy technology company implemented an artificial intelligence (AI) enabled dashcam initiative to improve identification of high-risk driving behaviors in order to focus on driver coaching efforts to further reduce automotive incident rates. Historically, driver improvement technology has been effectively used to identify and monitor driver behavior such as speeding, sudden braking, harsh turns and hard acceleration which provided drivers and managers with feedback to help improve driver safety. To achieve the next step change in driver performance improvement, the company partnered with a specialist provider of AI-enabled dual facing dashcam technology to utilize a more technological robust solution to identify and coach at-risk driving behaviors which could not be identified with existing driving improvement technology. The implementation of AI-enabled camera-based technology has to be sensitively managed to ensure the workforce embrace the benefits of such systems. A soft launch implementation included a comprehensive communication campaign with frequently asked questions. The systematic use of facial blurring allowed drivers to become more comfortable with the adoption of this innovative technology in company vehicles. Historical driver performance monitoring reports rated drivers based on metrics such as speeding, sudden braking, harsh turns, and hard acceleration. Exceptionally safe driving performance was indicated with 98% of drivers scoring well. The implementation of the dashcam AI technology incorporated distracted driving, mobile phone usage, and rolling stops within the driver performance report. With these additional criteria, the percentage of high performing drivers decreased to 65%. The dual facing dashcams use AI technology to detect distraction events, which enables quick action and coaching of drivers to correct the behavior. The technology implementation resulted in a 98% improvement in detected distracted driver events. The technology also aided in identifying and intervening in fatigue related events and providing evidence in event investigation. In 2023, despite a 20% increase in driving mileage, a 28% reduction in overall automotive incident rate has been achieved. The utilization of dashcam AI technology can enable a further step change improvement in driving behavior and performance making the roads safer for both company drivers and the local community.